BLYTHEWOOD – With no discussion, members of the Richland County Council passed second reading Tuesday night in favor of rezoning 133 acres on the edge of the Blythewood town limits from Agricultural (AG) to R3 residential zoning.
Public comment was not allowed before council voted. A number of Blythewood residents and a Blythewood Town Council member spoke out against the rezoning during the public hearing on Oct. 27, 2026.
The property is located near the intersection of Hwy 321 and Blythewood Road.
Concerns have been raised that signs posted for the rezoning might not be compliant with statutes since they do not include the identification of the property, such as an address. At the Oct. 27 Richland County Council Zoning Public Hearing, District 1 Councilman Jason Branham moved to defer a case in his district until the next meeting because, he said, “We just want to ensure compliance with the signposting requirement under our county ordinance.”
The posted sign did not include the location of the property as required by state law. Before the next meeting, the county reposted the sign and included the location (address) of the property that was requested to be rezoned.
The entire council was notified at the time by a Chapin resident that signs without the location were not in compliance with the requirements of state law.
According to Richland County’s current Land Development Code (Sec. 26-2.4(j)(2), concerning posted notices:
1. Where posted notice is required in accordance with Table 26-2.4(j) (2), the Planning Director shall prepare and post notice of the hearing in a conspicuous location on or adjacent to the lot or lots that are the subject of the application. Posted notice for a Zoning Map amendment hearing shall be visible from each public thoroughfare abutting the area of the proposed Zoning Map amendment and shall include at least one notice for every 150 feet, or fraction thereof, of street frontage within the area of the proposed Zoning Map amendment.
2. Posted notice shall include the following information:
(a) The change proposed;
(b) The property affected and case number; and
(c) The time, date, and place of the public hearing.
Signs posted since Councilman Branham called for a deferral of the rezoning of a property in his district at the Oct. 27 Council public hearing have included the identification of the property.
The sign posted for the 133 acres at Blythewood Road and Hwy 321 does not include a property identification as required by Sec. 26-2.4(j)(2)(b).
In addition, public notice signs posted facing the highway may also not meet the statute requirement since they can only be read if the person driving past it is stopped in the road in front of the sign. The signs, as posted facing the highway along the 133 acres, cannot otherwise be read by motorists passing by.